At six feet , two inches tall and 185 pounds, Blaise Nkufo (pronounced Blehz KOOH-fo)   is a force to be reckoned with, both from  a physical and skill set stand point.  

In other words, Seattle Sounder supporters should get their kicks out of this Congolese born striker, who now claims Swiss Citizenship.

The Sounders announced today that they have signed the Swiss National Team forward on a free transfer, but before booking passage to the Pacific Northwest, Nkufo must fulfill commitments to his National Team and Dutch Club side, FC Twente.

The 34 year old Nkufo has scored over 200 goals for club and country and has capped 27 times for the Swiss, scoring seven goals. Five of those goals came during the qualification process for the 2010 World Cup and, as a result, Switzerland will join Honduras, Chile and reigning European champion Spain in Group H when World Cup play begins in June.

Nkufo, now in his seventh season with FC Twente, has led the club in scoring each of the past six seasons and last summer became the club's career scoring leader and, to date, has scored 129 goals in 260 appearances for the Dutch club.

"I am really motivated. It is a big challenge because as a player and as a man, I wish to settle and live in Seattle," said Nkufo. "For now, I remain totally committed, totally focused on Twente, and doing whatever I can to help them win the league and the cup."

FC Twente has lost only once in 25 matches and currently trails PSV Eindhoven by one point in the Eredivisie, Holland's first division. Twente has also advanced to the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) round of 32.

"When I arrive in Seattle, I'm not just coming to play, I'm coming to succeed," added Nkufo. "That is my goal. I feel I can contribute because of my experience, my spirit, my commitment and my goals. Of course, that's the key, goals and assists. I've contributed that before and wish to do the same for the Sounders."

"When I came last winter to visit," he said, "I was impressed with the organization, the stadium and the training facilities. The Sounders showed that they want me and I have a very good feeling about our future."

"We're obviously very excited because we've had our eyes on Blaise for quite a while now," said Adrian Hanauer, Sounders FC general manager. "He's a big, strong presence in the middle, and he gives us a slightly different look. He is also a player of tremendous character, and will contribute his knowledge and leadership to our team."

Seattle supporters can expect to see Nkufo in a Sounders kit sometime after World Cup Play.

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The Seattle Sounders today announced they have signed Swiss international Blaise Nkufo from Dutch club FC Twente.

Nkufo will play out the rest of the season in Europe before heading out to the World Cup in June, and he is expected to join the Sounders by the middle of July, halfway through the MLS campaign.

Even though the Sounders knew they would only have the veteran striker for 15 or 16 games in 2010, they were not reluctant in pulling the trigger on the deal. 34-year-old Nkufo said he will be ready and raring to go when he lands on the West Coast, but I have serious concerns about him burning out.

Nkufo has played in 213 league games for FC Twente in the last seven seasons, an average of 30 a year, including 122 games in the last four-and-a-half seasons since turning 30 years old.

That’s not including other club competitions or international matches.

This season alone, he has appeared in 10 games in the UEFA Europa League, two Champions League qualifying games, and five matches for Switzerland.

Twente have eight fixtures left in Holland’s Eredivisie, including a crunch match on March 20 against league leaders PSV Eindhoven, and regardless of whether Nkufo and his club wins the Dutch championship, he will have at least three more games this summer for Switzerland in the World Cup in June.

While Spain are clear favorites to top Group H, Switzerland and Chile will essentially be competing for second place and a quarterfinal contest with the Group of Death winner—which could be any one of Brazil, Portugal, or Ivory Coast.

What this means is that Nkufo could have played in 31 league games, 12 games in club competitions, five international matches, and at least three more World Cup matches before he even makes his first start for the Sounders.

Assuming Switzerland does not make the knockout stages of the World Cup in South Africa, Nkufo could be available for the Sounders for their trip to LA Galaxy on July 4.

He will have missed 14 league games for Seattle, but he could still theoretically rack up 69 games this year. Don’t even think about the fact that the Sounders will be playing in the Open Cup and Champions League, too.

He says he played enough matches last year to know his body can cope with the stress of that many games, but the fact is, he hasn’t.

How many players, even players in their mid-20s, do you know who can play in upwards of 70 competitive games in 13 months?

He will turn 35 years old before the World Cup starts, and the Sounders should be worried about the miles he will have racked up before he even throws on his new green and blue jersey.

There is no doubt that Nkufo is a proven goalscorer: He has scored 111 league goals in the Eredivisie—an incredible strike rate of more than one every other game—and he netted 20 goals in 51 games in the top two flights of the Bundesliga before his move to Twente.

In fact, prior to the 2009-10 season, Nkufo was the top scorer on the club in each of his first six years. He scored 22 goals in back-to-back seasons in 2006 and 2007 and he has never failed to net double-digit goals since his move from German side Hannover in 2003.

But it is unrealistic to expect Nkufo to come in to a new team, surround himself with new personnel and a new system midway through an unfamiliar season, and perform to the best of his abilities.

Freddy Montero will no doubt benefit from Nkufo’s presence up top, as will Nate Jaqua, who showed he is more than capable in front of goal from his time at Chicago and, more recently, Houston. The duo will carry the bulk of the scoring workload until Nkufo arrives, at which point Sigi Schmid will then have to tweak his roster.

It will also give Freddie Ljungberg and Steve Zakuani more attacking options from the midfield, and while Nkufo hasn't got blazing speed, he knows how to hold the ball up, create space, and—most importantly—put the ball between the posts.

Blaise Nkufo is an exciting addition to the team and his veteran presence will be a welcome asset to the club. But temper your expectations for the 2010 season—his true value will come in 2011 when, with fresh legs under him, he will shine in front of appreciative fans at Qwest Field.

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I tweeted this last night while I was at the second night of the Pro Soccer Classic at Disney: #Orlando needs MLS #soccer not #MLB

I honestly believe that is the case.

A few months ago, I posted about Armando Gutierrez and his attempt to bring Major League Baseball to Orlando. But thinking more deeply on the idea, I’ve come to the conclusion that MLB in Orlando just will not work.

The reason: Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay relies on Orlando to help get more attendance for the Rays. Orlando would need to rely on Tampa Bay even more. The problem is, that just isn’t possible.

If we stole the Rays, who have made no secret of their desire for a new stadium, away from Tampa Bay, it would undoubtedly alienate the market. Back in 1991, they boycotted Blockbuster Video when CEO and then-Marlins owner H. Wayne Huizenga vetoed the already-agreed-upon move of the San Francisco Giants to St. Petersburg.

Don’t think for one moment they won’t act in anger against the Rays and Orlando if the Rays moved here.

And if we moved a different team, like the Oakland Athletics, to Orlando, we still would not have the support of Tampa Bay. Only then, the Rays will lose the necessary support of Orlando, and both teams would suffer economically.

We need to support the Rays in Tampa Bay if we want baseball in Orlando. The only scenario where I see MLB baseball becoming viable in Orlando is if the Rays move out-of-state.

But as foolhardy as MLB may seem in the current conditions, there is another interesting possibility: Major League Soccer.

I have already expressed my opinions and ideas to Mr. Gutierrez, but I wanted to share them here as well. First, quite simply, is cost.

An expansion slot in Major League Soccer–which is currently available for as early as 2012–costs $40 million. That’s far and away less than the cost to get the Rays out of their lease at Tropicana Field. And there are a couple MLS teams that are currently in bad stadium situations.

In addition, a stadium tailor-made for soccer, such as Toyota Park in Chicago, The Home Depot Center in Los Angeles, or even Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Denver, costs one-third to one-half how much an MLB-class stadium would cost.

In fact, it may even cost less than the $175 million they have earmarked to (someday) remodel the Citrus Bowl. Toyota Park, a standalone stadium with a capacity of 27,000, only cost $100 million to build in 2006. In Chicago. Dick’s (capacity 18,000) cost $131 million in 2007, but that included the 24-field soccer practice complex built around it. I can’t imagine a similar facility here in Orlando would cost much more, especially considering our real estate market these days.

The market is better suited for soccer than baseball. Orlando can support putting 25,000 people at a soccer match 15-20 times a year a lot better than 35,000 at a baseball game 81+ times a year.

In addition, a soccer-specific stadium will bring far greater economic benefit than an MLB stadium. Especially with the changes at the Citrus Bowl. As you recall, the Citrus Bowl was cut out of the U.S. bid for the 2018/2022 World Cups. This, despite our successes hosting the 1994 World Cup.

We need to face facts: The Citrus Bowl sucks. It is way too old, and the prospects for the overhaul originally planned in 2007 are growing dimmer. And now that they are laying artificial turf, our chances of ever hosting world-class soccer again will be extinguished.

At best, an MLB-class stadium can host a team and maybe the World Baseball Classic every four years–assuming we aren’t looked over in favor of the Marlins’ new ballpark or any of the other baseball shrines erected or remodeled in the last 20 years.

A soccer-specific stadium will not only host 15-20 team games, but a litany of other matches and tournaments: The men’s and women’s national soccer teams in both friendly and World Cup qualifying matches, expositions featuring international teams, continental tournaments, you name it.

And with Orlando being a premier foreign tourist destination already, it would become instantly attractive to the big leagues of Europe: the Premier League in England, La Liga in Spain, Serie A in Italy, 1.Bundesliga in Germany, and many more.

A soccer-specific stadium can also host a lot more than soccer. A soccer pitch can also accommodate American football. It would never be a replacement for the Citrus Bowl itself, but it just might be able to steal away the Florida Tuskers, who would be better suited for the intimate nature of a soccer-specific stadium.

It could also attract the annual FHSAA state high school football championships. On top of that, the growing (in America, anyway, already popular worldwide) sport of rugby would be put in exhibition at a soccer stadium.

Finally, unlike a baseball team, it would not make it economically prohibitive to also drop an MLS team in Tampa Bay. And any new branch of the War on I-4 is a good thing for both of us.

I think we have an interesting opportunity here, if we are willing to take advantage of it.

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The MLS (Major League Soccer) Expansion Philadelphia Union has placed yet another set piece into the upper right hand corner.

Today, Keystone Sports and Entertainment (KSE) and the Philadelphia Union officially announced their partnership with PPL (Pennsylvania Power and Light) Energy plus. The partnership gives the Allentown, Pa. based power company the 11 year naming rights to the team’s soccer specific stadium currently under construction in Chester, Pa.

From this point forward we can now call the future home of the Philadelphia Union, PPL Park.

This partnership, however, is more than just a name on the side of a building.

For starters, PPL EnergyPlus also will become Philadelphia Union’s exclusive energy provider. Philadelphia Union will utilize energy at PPL Park supplied by PPL EnergyPlus, which will purchase and retire renewable energy credits equal to 100 percent of the park’s electricity use from renewable energy projects in Pennsylvania owned or contracted by PPL EnergyPlus.

“Simply put, we have found the perfect partner,” said Nick Sakiewicz, CEO & Operating Partner of KSE and Philadelphia Union. “This is a very important moment in our club’s and stadium’s history.

"To have a venerable, well-respected Pennsylvania company team up with a brand new world class facility is a profound statement. We are so energized over this partnership and can’t wait to start working together to make our mark in the community and the region.”

With electricity rate caps expiring in the greater Philadelphia region on December 31, 2010, businesses now have the opportunity to choose their electricity and natural gas suppliers.

For the first time in 10 years, PPL EnergyPlus is able to aggressively compete for business in Southeastern Pennsylvania.  PPL EnergyPlus also can bring to these same customers renewable energy options, energy efficiency improvements, and demand response programs.

“With our partners at PPL EnergyPlus providing us cost effective and environmentally friendly energy, they are enabling us to create a stadium that is efficient and supports ‘green and clean’ power sources,” added Sakiewicz.

“That’s a good formula for us and other businesses that want to work with PPL EnergyPlus to save money and be good to the environment at the same time.”

So the naming rights are in place; now all we need is the stadium, which at the moment is a bit behind schedule. The Union is hoping to host its first MLS game June 23, against the Seattle Sounders.

Until then, Philadelphia will play its first two home games at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the NFL’s (National Football League's) Philadelphia Eagles.

By the way, it looks like when the Union finally does open the gates to PPL Park, filling its 18,500 seats won’t be a problem. Sakiewizc noted today that as the team moves closer to a season ticket base of 10 thousand, the sale of future season ticket sales would stop.

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The fact that Major League soccer blatantly violates FIFA players regulations is crystal clear.

FIFPro, the international organization working in conjunction with the MLS players’ union, accurately asserts that MLS refuses to abide by FIFA’s regulations on the status and transfer of players.

FIFPro correctly points out that player contracts are routinely terminated by the MLS League Office during its term, almost 80 percent of players in MLS do not have guaranteed contracts.

MLS operates as a cartel in that every player’s contract must be entered into with the league instead of his club; the contract of virtually every player in the league contains multiple, unilateral one-year options that may only be exercised by the league.

Virtually any player in the league can be transferred to another club within the league without his consent even if such transfer is international; and there is no freedom of movement for any MLS player to any other MLS clubs when his contract expires.

In fact, even if a player’s contract is unilaterally terminated by a club during its term, that club continues to hold such player’s rights and he is prohibited from signing with another club in the league.

With such blatant disregard for FIFA players regulations, why has FIFA failed to act? Why is FIFA sitting on the sidelines watching MLS breach its own regulations?

Presumably, FIFA, the world’s soccer governing body, is not eager to pressure the US Soccer Federation, and in turn MLS, because it wants to do all it can to foster the growth of professional soccer in the United States and it believes that this will be achieved by siding with the league’s management group.

Is that the right assumption? 

If one abides by the "slow-growth" concept espoused by the League which envisions a truly long-term plan (literally 100 years or more) whereby, among other things, each club will eventually own its home stadium, the answer is yes. In order to move forward on that plan the League needs to keep expenses down, invest on player development, organically grow its fan base and build stadiums.

Player salaries are the biggest expense and that is where the single-entity concept comes into play. The single-entity structure has been very successful in keeping players' salaries low.

But how long can the MLS management go on violating FIFA players regulations in order to achieve its "slow-growth" plan? 

It depends on the players.

It depends on MLS fans, MLS sponsors, and other stakeholders.

So far, MLS players are fighting tough. They are giving it all they got. 

MLS fans, by and large, remain quiet and apparently willing to endure the mediocre soccer MLS offers and will continue to offer until it achieves its long-term goals.

MLS sponsors have probably not fully recognize what is going on and continue to support the league.

Putting all of these legitimate concerns aside for a moment, given the global economic recession, MLS management could credibly assert that now is not the best time to make these significant changes.

That is why a short-term one or two-year "Recession Deal" would make sense. Let the players accept the few concessions MLS management is currently offering and resume talks next year. That agreement would probably be the best temporary solution for the good of the game in this country.

But, on the broader picture, it is clear that MLS needs to revisit its "slow-growth" strategy.  MLS players are rebelling, MLS fans could get turned off, and MLS sponsors may also start to grumble. 

Perhaps the single-entity scheme has run its course. Single-entity played an important and positive role helping the League to be on solid footing 14 years into its existence. It has been a good structure that served the League well. But now is the time to revisit it and to make some significant changes, or to scrap it altogether. 

Freedom and innovation are two key values that make the U.S. the great country that it is.

Now is the time to add some freedom and innovation to the MLS structure. I trust that Mark Abbott and the other MLS leaders can plainly see that, and that they will do the right thing. 

Ultimately, they should do it because MLS fans deserve it. They are the clients that they serve. Take care of the clients. Bring in more world class players, keep more American stars in MLS. In other words, spend more to improve the product on the field now.

MLS fans should not have to wait 100 years to enjoy a high-quality MLS soccer product.

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The threat of a strike looms large over Major League Soccer and if the players strike, the blame must lie at the feet of MLS Commissioner Don Garber.

For soccer in the U.S. to continue to grow, the league must fall in line with FIFA guidelines and regulations. I understand why the league wanted to own all the contracts but that time has passed.

Use a salary cap and let players negotiate with the individual teams, like every other league in the U.S.

Players must be allowed to move to other MLS clubs when their contract expires. Today even is a player’s contract is unilaterally terminated by a club, that club continues to hold such player’s rights and he is prohibited from signing with another club in the league.

Europe has the Bosman Rule and in the U.S. we had the Curt Flood baseball ruling. A league cannot sign players to contracts that contain multiple unilateral one-year options that may only be exercised by the league.

The salary cap needs to increased so that players are the bottom of the rung can make enough money to live on. Professional soccer players in MLS should not be making $18,000 a year.

Raise the salary cap to $3 million (it was $2.3 million last year) for this season. Raise the minimum salary to $25,000 at least.

This is not in the collective bargaining agreement, but MLS needs to get with the FIFA schedule for international games. It is cheating the fans, and cheapening the game, when you play MLS games on FIFA-designated weekends for international games.

This is a World Cup year and interest in soccer in the U.S. has really increased in the last year, because of the success of the U.S. international game.

Labor negotiations are always difficult, but soccer cannot afford any sort of work stoppage this season. Garber has to make peace with the players.

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Introduction and Disclaimer:

I am writing this article not to criticize the other teams playing in the 2010 World Cup. My purpose is to promote a team that is participating in this historical sporting event but is ignored by the mainstream media. The team is the US Soccer Team. 

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to start in South Africa in 109 days. The countries that are participating have prepared their commercials to promote their teams. The only exception to the rule in my opinion is the USA.

The USA is in Group C against England, Algeria, and Slovenia and the media in this country has not mentioned the US Soccer Team. The telephone giant AT&T has a commercial with the Spanish singer David Bisbal promoting his country with its uniform.

In the same AT&T commercial, Thalia, who is a singer and actress from Mexico, dressed in the uniform of her team. Both are singing the praises of their countries. In the end, AT&T promotes itself as the official sponsor the Mexican National Soccer Team. 

Home Depot has also promoted the Mexican National Soccer Team in another commercial. The commercial shows a game and then one of the players promoting Home Depot in a dispute with a referee.

The commercial ends with Home Depot being the sponsor of the Mexican National Soccer Team. In Mexico, Landon Donovan of the US Soccer Team appears in a Mexican Lottery Commercial.

In the commercial (which aired in Mexico), Landon Donovan attempts to cross the border from the USA into Mexico and is caught by a member of the Mexican Border Patrol.

The Mexican Border Patrol quickly identifies Landon Donovan. Landon Donovan then promotes the Mexican Lottery that is in the commercial. I do not know if this counts as an endorsement. It counts as a commercial in which a US Soccer figure appears although not in the USA.

The news conglomerates should have given publicity to Jozy Altidore (US Soccer and Hull City) cancelling his games to help the people of Haiti. It was not done.

When I have attempted to comment about this situation, the response has been mixed. The people have said that the US mainstream media in English and Spanish (as well as the conglomerates) should air commercials with US Soccer stars.

The detractors have said that the US is not ready for soccer even though the USA has the MLS (with high attendance), and a national soccer team that is in its seventh consecutive World Cup.

While the US Soccer Team has to win its practice games against El Salvador, Netherlands, Czech Republic, and Turkey; the team needs help at home. If other countries can promote their teams, why do we not do the same thing.

The US Soccer Team was promoted in a Spanish Language Magazine during the 2002 World Cup held in Japan and South Korea. In the promotion, different female journalists dressed in their national clothes such as Marian De La Fuente [Spain], Ana Patricia Candiani [Mexico], and Adriana Catano [USA].

It is necessary to have such a promotion as well as various stores and establishments promoting the uniforms and souvenirs of the US Soccer Team. Marshall's, Soccer Locker, and Sports Authority has done this while others have feared to tread.

The rest of the US Media and Companies should start to emulate Marshalls, Soccer Locker, and Sports Authority. The US mainstream media and conglomerates should air commercials with the personalities of US Soccer such as Heather Mitts or Landon Donovan.

I have another suggestion with the Chivas USA cheerleaders and members of the venerable MLS team such as Maykel Galindo promoting US Soccer.

I also invite the people who work in Bleacher Report to promote US Soccer using the same format that was used in the above mentioned Spanish Language Magazine in 2002.

When will this occur? Good question. For this avid fan, I hope it happens now instead of the day before the world's largest sporting event begins.

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Prior to the summer of 2003, Soccer fans in the Philadelphia tri-state area had to travel down to Washington D.C. or up to East Rutherford, NJ to watch World Class Soccer.

That scenario however changed with the Aug. 23, 2003 opening of Lincoln Financial Field, an NFL (National Football League) style stadium with a real grass surface.

Ironically the first ever event held at Lincoln Financial Field was a soccer friendly between European club powers Manchester United and FC Barcelona. I consider myself lucky to have been among the 68,000 plus in attendance that night as United beat Barca 3-1.

The site lines at this stadium make Lincoln Financial Field a great venue to watch soccer, which probably explains why Philadelphia has been fortunate enough over the past seven years to host a hand full of International Matches.

In 2003 several FIFA Women’s World Cup Games were played at the Linc. Then after winning the soccer gold-medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the U.S. Women’s National Team conducted a “Fan Celebration Tour,” playing 10 games across the United States between September and December. On Nov. 6 of 2004 they dropped a 3-1 decision to Denmark.

More recently Lincoln Financial Field was host to a pair of 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal matches. The first quarterfinal was between Canada and Honduras, the second between Panama and the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT).

That game marked the first full international appearance for the USMNT in Philadelphia since 1968 when the U.S. lost a 4-0 friendly to Israel. That game was played at the former Temple Stadium once located in the city's East Mount Airy section.

Well Philadelphia area soccer fans will get a chance once again to break out their national team scarves and jerseys on May 29 when the USMNT hosts Turkey in the final U.S. match before the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Speaking of the World Cup, in April 2009, Lincoln Financial Field was listed by U.S. Soccer's World Cup bid committee as one of 58 stadiums to be potential sites for World Cup matches in either 2018 or 2022. In June 2009, it was announced that Lincoln Financial Field made the cut as one of 45 out of 70 stadium game sites under continued consideration. Lincoln Financial Field made the cut again when the stadium list was reduced from 45 to 32 on August 20, 2009.

By the way, the MLS (Major League Soccer) expansion Philadelphia Union will play their home opener at Lincoln Financial Field on April 10, 2010 due to construction delays at their future home in Chester. The Union plans to limit ticket sales to the lower bowl and club sections, totaling about 37,500 seats.

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After a leisurely 5-0 stroll through the University of North Carolina men’s team back on Feb. 13, Peter Nowak and his young expansion Philadelphia Union will get their first taste of Major League Soccer (MLS) Exhibition play.

On Sunday, March 14, the Union will hit the preseason pitch against FC Dallas in a game scheduled to be played at the University of Tampa’s Pepin Stadium.

Dallas is currently 3-0 in preseason play, following a 3-1 win over the University of Memphis, 4-0 win over Southern Methodist University, and a 7-1 thrashing against the Golden Hurricane of the University of Tulsa.

Prior to meeting Philadelphia, FC Dallas will take part in the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Dallas will join the Houston Dynamo, New York Red Bulls, and Toronto FC and play two games each night on Thursday, Feb. 25 and Saturday, Feb. 27.

In addition to the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic, Dallas also has scrimmages scheduled against the University of Central Florida, Florida International, and the New England Revolution.

So by the time Dallas gets its horns into the Union, they will already have eight exhibition games worth of play to their credit. If Union manager Peter Nowak is looking for a good measuring stick of where his team is on March 14, this game should be a great barometer.

Following the March 14 match against FC Dallas, the Union will also play a March 19 exhibition, against the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USSF Division-2 Pro League.

Wow, Tampa Bay Rowdies bring back memories of the old North American Soccer League (NASL).

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